The University of Pennsylvania School of Public Health released the results of a multi-year study over unconventional natural gas development—or fracking—on certain health conditions in residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
One of the conditions the taxpayer-funded study examined was asthma attacks and their severity. The study, which spanned the period of 2021-2023, examined the observational health records of more than 46,000 patients between the ages of 5 and 90. Study results concluded there was a strong link between the production phase of unconventional natural gas development and severe exacerbations, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations for asthma in people living within 10 miles of one or more wells producing natural gas. Specifically, the study reported that people with asthma have a four to five times greater chance of having an asthma attack if they live near unconventional natural gas development wells during the production phase. The study found no link during the well preparation, drilling or hydraulic fracturing phases.
Additionally, the study found that people with asthma living close to wells during the production phase had an increased chance of their asthma getting worse. In addition to asthma, researchers studied the impact of fracking on childhood cancers and birth outcomes.
